Sidmouth Jurassic Coast Sidmouth Folk Festival Sidmouth East Devon UK

Sidmouth Museum & Sidmouth Beach Holidays

The beaches at Sidmouth are superb for families, with a combination of rock pools to explore, and golden sand at low tides. Right upto the red stone cliffs you have clean gentle pebbles. Check out Clifton beach with the red sandstone cliffs behind, and move to the eastern end towards Port Royal which is also a popular fishing location. You can hire beach huts at Jacob's Ladder! Sidmouth beaches offer real variety, and check out Sidmouth Sailing Club's weblink to the right for details of Sidmouth sailing and fishing, plus news on Sidmouth's annual regatta organised by the sailing club.

Sidmouth really began to boom in the 19th century as a seaside holiday mecca. This Devon town has over 500 listed buildings, and quite a few blue plaques, with a mix of elegant Georgian properies and thatched cottages. Regency magic can be seen in buildings like the Royal Glen Hotel, which was once a brief childhood home to Princess Victoria. There are many more Strawberry gothic styled and Cottage Orne buildings dotted about. Sidmouth has had some royal visitors in it's time! Take the Sidmouth Museum journey, exploring exhibits of Honiton lace. There's a collection of water colours here at Sidmouth Museum of local scenes by artists like Hubert Cornish or browse the diary of local resident Peter Orlando Hutchinson, son of a doctor, who came to Sidmouth in 1825 and ended up writing a five volume history of Sidmouth - that's deditcation for you! Hook into a number of guided walks organised from Sidmouth Museum to really get an insight into why this beautiful Jurassic Coastal stretch has formed to what we see today.

Sidmouth Tourist Information Centre, Swimming Pool Building, Ham Lane, Sidmouth, EX10 8XR. Tel: (01395) 516441.

Sidmouth Museum, Hope Cottage, Church Street, Sidmouth. Tel: 01395 516139. Open Easter-Oct, 2-4.30pm Mondays, 10am-12.30pm, 2-4.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. Closed Nov-Mar. There's a small shop on-site.

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Sidmouth Folk Festival

If you have been to Sidmouth Festival before, you will know what it's all about: music, singing, dancing, pub sessions, learning something new, cream teas, concerts, seeing your favourite bands, discovering your new favourite bands, crab sarnies, storytelling, lying on the beach, dancing the night away at Late Night Extra, and sitting up late on the campsite with your brand new best friends.

If you haven't been before, you ve got quite a treat in store: One of England's very best folk festivals combined with a seaside holiday in a beautiful Regency town! What more could you want from the first week in August?

This year's festival takes place from 31 July - 7 August 2009. For the latest information click the weblink to the right or phone the Box Office: 01395 578627.

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The Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic coastal stretch at Sidmouth is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Jurassic Coast. It's rich in geology, and these red rocks here at Sidmouth, crowned by yellow upper greensand and white chalk are a sight to behold. For real understanding check in at the Sidmouth Museum or Sidmouth Tourist Information centre to take a guided walk with expert geological commentary. Or simply take the walks yourself. What you're seeing here is a really ancient land surface, and part of what is called the Great Unconformity (check the Jurassic Coast weblink for details), and an effect produced from erosion which took place 40 million years ago.

The Budleigh Salterton section of the Jurassic Coast has a different character. Here you'll find a pebbled beach. These pebbles are made of hard quartzite and they are identical to 440 million year old rocks also found in Brittany. How did they get here? By giant rivers of course, flowing into the Triassic desert around about 225 million years ago.

There are some idyllic little fishing villages along the Jurassic coast. Here on the East Devon stretch, check out charming Beer Fishing Village. It's a natural bay, surrounded by white chalk cliffs. These rocks were formed in the shallow seas of the Cretaceous Period, over 70 million years ago. You'd have expected the chalk to have eroded long ago, but at Beer the chalk rocks are special as they're folded and faulted at an angle and protected by older, stronger rock. Take time to visit the Beer Quarry caves which are situated just behind the village and a stunning sight indeed. This masonary stone has been quarried since Roman times for buildings, and you can view the interesting effects of such quarrying here at the Beer Caves. Today Beer is a favourite stop for visitors to the area, particularly during the annual Beer Regatta in August (Tel: 01297 21660 for details).

Move further up the Jurassic coast to Seaton to discover the beautiful Undercliffs which run all the way from Axmouth to Lyme Regis and are a National Nature Reserve. This area is the result of landslides, still going on today with perhaps the most famous being in 1839 - The Bindon Landslide. English Nature keep a close eye on the reserve, and fortunately the South West Coast Path runs right through it. The walk from Axmouth to Lyme Regis, taking in the Undercliffs, is one of the best and most scenic stretches of the South West Coast Path - challenging and strenuous as well! Check out the South West Coast Path weblink to the right for details!

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Around Sidmouth & East Devon Golf

Just up from Exmouth and the Exe Estuary is your first port of call on this red stoned cliff Devon Coastal stretch - beautiful Budleigh Salterton. Noel Coward and P.G.Woodhouse were regular visitors to Budleigh Salterton, no doubt attracted by it's superb coast, sea air and laid back, respectable character. Budleigh's more famous son though is indeed Sir Walter Raleigh who was born just inland from Budleigh Salterton at Hayes Barton. You can visit the site where Sir John Everett Millais painted his renowned 'The Boyhood of Raleigh at the Octagon adjacent to the highly entertaining Fairlynch Art Centre & Museum. Here at this musue is a selection of local and natural history exhibits, and an interesting collection of Victorian and Edwardian costumes.

A most popular attraction in Budleigh Salterton is Bicton Park botanical Gardens, one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Devon! There's 60 acres of mature gardens here, with lots of water features, delightful borders and a 19th century palm house. For a real treat for the taste buds head up the River Otter to Otterton and look in on the Otterton Mill Centre and Working Museum. This mill has ground flour for years, and today produces organic flour still - which a superb cafe on-site serving delicious cakes and bread made from the flour. For that perfect all inclusive holiday check out Ladram Bay Country Holiday Park on the coast near Otterton which has it's own private beach, shops, cafes/restaurants and an indoor heated swimming pool. Bicton Park Botanical Gardens, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon. EX9 7BJ. Tel: 01395 568465.

Golf lovers and indeed racing lovers should head to Nigel Mansell's World of Racing at Woodbury. There's lots going on here including a championship 73 Par golf course, a magnificent parkland golf course this one!, a luxury hotel, an exhibition on motor car racing (you can sit in Nigel Mansell's car - whoopee!) and some superb leisure facilities on-site. Check their weblink to the right for more details! Nigel Mansell World of Racing, Woodbury Park Hotel, Woodbury Castle, Woodbury. Tel: 01395 233382. Open from 10am-6pm daily, tours 11am daily.

An excellent way to view some of this beautiful Jurassic coastline is on an open top tram, from Seaton Tramway. Seaton Tramway operate narrow gauge heritage trams between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in East Devon's spectacular Axe Valley. The trips on historic open top trams take you alongside the River Axe estuary through two nature reserves, great for birdwatchers! Seaton Tramway, Harbour Road, Seaton, Devon. EX12 2NQ. Tel: 01297 20375. Check the Seaton Tramway website for more details.

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Art and Crafts Sidmouth & Jurassic Coast

The Kingfisher Gallery, Sidbury Mill, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Devon. EX10 0RE. Tel: 01395 597444. (weblink to the right)

Fairlynch Art Centre & Museum, 27 Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton, Devon. EX9 6NP. Tel: 01395-442666.

Around Sidmouth Tourist Information

Seaton Tourist Information Centre, The Underfleet, Seaton. Tel: 01297 21660. Open Apr-Oct 10am-5pm Mon-Sat. 10am02pm Sun. From Nov-Mar 10am-2pm Mon-Sat.

Budleigh Salterton Tourist information Centre, Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton. Tel: 01395 445275.